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A review by arlettesheyla
The Proposal Play by Lauren Blakely
4.75
4.75 stars ✨
What a strong start to the new year!! Friends to lovers is on its way to becoming one of my favorite tropes.
Maeve and Asher are incredibly fleshed out characters who feel very much like they could be actual people. Maeve has an infectious, bubbly personality and Asher is an absolute sweetheart—with a bossy side when the moment calls for it 😏
I strongly believe that your partner should be your best friend and this was exactly that. Their romance is the type that could only blossom from a decade-long friendship like theirs. It’s adorable how protective and considerate they are of each other, and their consistent support and admiration for one another is so heartwarming. The inside-jokes, moments of vulnerability, unwavering loyalty, and wholehearted trust that they share has fortified the foundation of their relationship.
One of the most refreshing elements of this book is the mature conversations between Maeve and Asher. They’re so comfortable talking to each other about their fears, insecurities, and ambitions. Their ability to communicate so openly and respectfully adds further depth to their relationship. It also helps that they inherently understand each other after being friends for so long. They always know what the other needs and neither lets the other push them away when the situation and rising emotions become overwhelming.
Their annual big adventure on the anniversary of Maeve’s mom’s death is such a touching tradition that tugged on my heartstrings. I love their backstory because they both relate to the experience of losing someone but those were very different relationships so it doesn’t feel like they bonded over losing the same person or same type of connection. Their bond feels authentic without being a defining factor of their relationship.
On a lighter note, the spicy scenes were all great quality, but I mostly appreciated how they raised the stakes and added tension to move the story forward. Also, their flirty, teasing banter was chef’s kiss! They’re so playful and witty; they bring so much energy to the story. It’s sweet how easily they fall into married life and the domesticity of it. However, as the book goes on, the tone shifts and they become more serious and anxious. Since it’s a marriage of convenience, there’s uncertainty about the future of their relationship. It’s understandable, but it’s accompanied by a bit too much back and forth and it becomes slightly redundant to the point that I start to lose interest.
The plot feels logical and grounded, especially when it comes to the PR aspect of their marriage. I very much appreciated how well the conflict (it’s not a breakup) toward the end of the book was handled. It made perfect sense and felt believable because it stemmed from the established aspects of the characters’ personalities and past traumas.
However, Maeve’s insecurity about feeling like she’s “too much” felt a bit underdeveloped. She says it’s an insecurity and something a past relationship told her, but that’s about as much explanation as we get. I guess that’s also how it is in life. Some boy in 5th grade points out your hairy arms, and from then on, you shave your arms. Still, I wanted to see more about how this fear spiraled into something so deeply ingrained. There’s a brief mention of her mom’s influence, but it doesn’t reveal much; I wish this had been explored further.
In terms of the writing style, I found the chapter titles to be such a fun addition! You don’t see a lot of those in contemporary romance. However, there were a few moments when the characters speak to the reader like they’re addressing a TV audience and it pulled me out of the story. Similarly, there was some fluff—entire conversations with side characters or extra details that didn’t contribute to the character developments or the plot. This created an issue with the pacing as the additional content sometimes felt overwhelming and failed to efficiently help in moving the story forward.
Overall, this was such an incredible, heartfelt romance with charm, depth, and a mature exploration of love. I was so awestruck by the strength of Maeve and Asher’s relationship and all of the healthy communication that they demonstrated throughout the book. I wasn’t a fan of the pacing, but the deep emotional connection that these two share had me falling in love with their story.
Audiobook side note: Vanessa Edwin and Robert Hatchet were perfect as Maeve and Asher!! 10/10. No notes.
Thank you very much to Lauren Blakely and GoodGirlsPR for the ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review!!
________________________________________________
Annotations from the audiobook:
Ch I forgot: I AM LIVING FOR THESE MATURE CONVERSATIONS. ALSO love how well he understands her to the point that he knows what she does and doesn’t need to hear under every circumstance. He always knows what to say.
Ch 17: WAIT. The timing is not right. She’s gonna think she got it bc of the marriage 😭😭😭😭 Nooooo
By Ch 43: Losing the fun flirty side. They’re so serious now. Sweet how they’re very domestic but idk I’m losing interest.
Ch I forgot: The moment he realizes he’s been in love with Maeve?!?! So tenderly precious!!
Ch I forgot: I just realized I don’t think I’ve read a book yet where the MMC has 2 dads. They are so cute. But I LOVE how they gave Asher a new last name and moved their last names to middle names so that they could all have the same last name since they don’t like hyphenated names (I don’t like hyphenated names either).
Ch 51: EXCUSE ME?!?! The maturity?!!? Omg she fears being too much and he said he needed space (arguing about him being obsessive about the fear of losing someone he loves) when she calls him out on his concerning habits and she didn’t take it personally. She doubled down on her concern.
Ch I forgot: I love the way that he recognizes his issue (google autofill search). It feels so genuine.
Other notes: So many swoon-worthy moments!
What a strong start to the new year!! Friends to lovers is on its way to becoming one of my favorite tropes.
Maeve and Asher are incredibly fleshed out characters who feel very much like they could be actual people. Maeve has an infectious, bubbly personality and Asher is an absolute sweetheart—with a bossy side when the moment calls for it 😏
I strongly believe that your partner should be your best friend and this was exactly that. Their romance is the type that could only blossom from a decade-long friendship like theirs. It’s adorable how protective and considerate they are of each other, and their consistent support and admiration for one another is so heartwarming. The inside-jokes, moments of vulnerability, unwavering loyalty, and wholehearted trust that they share has fortified the foundation of their relationship.
One of the most refreshing elements of this book is the mature conversations between Maeve and Asher. They’re so comfortable talking to each other about their fears, insecurities, and ambitions. Their ability to communicate so openly and respectfully adds further depth to their relationship. It also helps that they inherently understand each other after being friends for so long. They always know what the other needs and neither lets the other push them away when the situation and rising emotions become overwhelming.
Their annual big adventure on the anniversary of Maeve’s mom’s death is such a touching tradition that tugged on my heartstrings. I love their backstory because they both relate to the experience of losing someone but those were very different relationships so it doesn’t feel like they bonded over losing the same person or same type of connection. Their bond feels authentic without being a defining factor of their relationship.
On a lighter note, the spicy scenes were all great quality, but I mostly appreciated how they raised the stakes and added tension to move the story forward. Also, their flirty, teasing banter was chef’s kiss! They’re so playful and witty; they bring so much energy to the story. It’s sweet how easily they fall into married life and the domesticity of it. However, as the book goes on, the tone shifts and they become more serious and anxious. Since it’s a marriage of convenience, there’s uncertainty about the future of their relationship. It’s understandable, but it’s accompanied by a bit too much back and forth and it becomes slightly redundant to the point that I start to lose interest.
The plot feels logical and grounded, especially when it comes to the PR aspect of their marriage. I very much appreciated how well the conflict (it’s not a breakup) toward the end of the book was handled. It made perfect sense and felt believable because it stemmed from the established aspects of the characters’ personalities and past traumas.
However, Maeve’s insecurity about feeling like she’s “too much” felt a bit underdeveloped. She says it’s an insecurity and something a past relationship told her, but that’s about as much explanation as we get. I guess that’s also how it is in life. Some boy in 5th grade points out your hairy arms, and from then on, you shave your arms. Still, I wanted to see more about how this fear spiraled into something so deeply ingrained. There’s a brief mention of her mom’s influence, but it doesn’t reveal much; I wish this had been explored further.
In terms of the writing style, I found the chapter titles to be such a fun addition! You don’t see a lot of those in contemporary romance. However, there were a few moments when the characters speak to the reader like they’re addressing a TV audience and it pulled me out of the story. Similarly, there was some fluff—entire conversations with side characters or extra details that didn’t contribute to the character developments or the plot. This created an issue with the pacing as the additional content sometimes felt overwhelming and failed to efficiently help in moving the story forward.
Overall, this was such an incredible, heartfelt romance with charm, depth, and a mature exploration of love. I was so awestruck by the strength of Maeve and Asher’s relationship and all of the healthy communication that they demonstrated throughout the book. I wasn’t a fan of the pacing, but the deep emotional connection that these two share had me falling in love with their story.
Audiobook side note: Vanessa Edwin and Robert Hatchet were perfect as Maeve and Asher!! 10/10. No notes.
Thank you very much to Lauren Blakely and GoodGirlsPR for the ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review!!
________________________________________________
Annotations from the audiobook:
Ch I forgot: I AM LIVING FOR THESE MATURE CONVERSATIONS. ALSO love how well he understands her to the point that he knows what she does and doesn’t need to hear under every circumstance. He always knows what to say.
Ch 17: WAIT. The timing is not right. She’s gonna think she got it bc of the marriage 😭😭😭😭 Nooooo
By Ch 43: Losing the fun flirty side. They’re so serious now. Sweet how they’re very domestic but idk I’m losing interest.
Ch I forgot: The moment he realizes he’s been in love with Maeve?!?! So tenderly precious!!
Ch I forgot: I just realized I don’t think I’ve read a book yet where the MMC has 2 dads. They are so cute. But I LOVE how they gave Asher a new last name and moved their last names to middle names so that they could all have the same last name since they don’t like hyphenated names (I don’t like hyphenated names either).
Ch 51: EXCUSE ME?!?! The maturity?!!? Omg she fears being too much and he said he needed space (arguing about him being obsessive about the fear of losing someone he loves) when she calls him out on his concerning habits and she didn’t take it personally. She doubled down on her concern.
Ch I forgot: I love the way that he recognizes his issue (google autofill search). It feels so genuine.
Other notes: So many swoon-worthy moments!